Shocked at the price of rug cleaning/repairs

[liannexsx]

Picked up a rug today that was in to get a front strap put on. I nearly died when she told me it was £28!!!
Horse has been warned, she bursts what's she's in and she's naked!

 

[mulledwhine]

WOW, that seems alot for a strap!!

Would have thought nearer £5 , but has been a long time since i had one repaired

 

[Tuffles 23]

I try and repair and wash my own now sometimes think it may be cheeper to buy a new rug ever year than get them washed

 

[flying solo]

You need to get yourself a sewing awl, it's my best friend ;-) x

 

[wellsat]

I had a new surcingle but on G's rug and it was £3.95! Much more reasonable

 

[liannexsx]

It's so expensive because they wash and reproof it before they will mend it. Personally I don't mind dirty and smelly rugs! I think I could've got another rug for. It much more.
What's a sewing awl?

 

[kajabe]

the price is rediculous!! I bought a diy kit from ebay and use that, it was only about £15 but well worth it, as it lasts for ages and does numerous rugs!
What about trying the local laundrette? my local one washed two of my mediumweight turnouts (one with neck and one without) and repaired some serious rips, for £24! I was so pleased and will definately be using her again! lol

 

[liannexsx]

I handed in another two rugs but I think I'll go back n get them and buy a DIY kit! The sewing awl looks good!

 

[noblesteed]

I repair my own rips using stormseal, gaffer tape to hold in place and an old rug to create a patch. Stormseal is about £7 a tube, it doesn't go off if you keep it in the fridge so one tube does about 2 patches. I do a bit of hand-stitching too if I need.

You can clean your own rugs quite well with a pressure washer. Or I bung the lightweight ones in the washing machine with some Nikwax to reproof. Don't use clothes washing liquid/powder or fabric conditioner though, use the proper Nikwax wash.

 

[moana]

Was the £28 for just the strap, or for the wash and re-proof also? If for all, it's not too bad, if just the repair - way OTT.

 

[liannexsx]

It was for wash and repair. I've ordered stuff off eBay and going to fix other two myself. One is an amigo mio - doesn't justify it for a rug that price

 

[Mithras]

I was about the same price for a front strap too recently. But of course it included the compulsary clean, although it wasn't very dirty. But then I saw discounted stable rugs of similar quality reduced to £45 in the local tack shop and I would have been as well getting one of those and throwing away the one needing fixed when adding in the hassle of delivering and collecing for repair!

 

[catembi]

Yeah I've started doing my own repairs since all this wash-and-reproof nonsense started. They never seem to be as waterproof afterwards as they were before, and it seems completely unnecessary to insist on washing a rug in order to repair a strap. Maybe if the rugs were caked in mud but not if they're perfectly clean but 'worn' IYSWIM...

I second the glue, & I've also done a bit of patching & sewing. It infuriates me being forced to pay for a wash & reproof that my rugs don't need & which will make them LESS waterproof. I paid around £80 for a few rugs a couple of years ago (wash; reproof; repair), but it totally put me off ever going back, so that one-off bit of profiteering has stopped the person getting my custom ever since.

 

[cptrayes]

I repair rips with iron on carpet joining tape. Works brilliantly.

 

[cremedemonthe]

I don't repair or wash rugs anymore but years ago I was washing and repairing around 200-250 per year and washing by hand
The 2 main reasons they won't repair rugs before they are washed are:
1) Hygiene, a rug can carry a host of bugs, including weils disease which can be transmitted to the person handling it with dire results.

2)If you attempt to repair a rug that isn't washed on a sewing machine then the dirt and grime gets into the bobbin and workings of the machine , it acts as a grinding paste and will prematurely wear out the machine, it shortens the machine's life quite considerably

Also, the person repairing the rug may be using the same machine to manufacture new items, you don't want to have new items smelling of horse and getting dirty. The fittings and materials to repair anything whether it be saddlery or rugs has all gone up alot, this is because Asia in general is buying up all the raw materials so what is left is twice as expensive, for instance, swage buckles (solid brass) for headcollars I could buy 3 years ago for around 84p each, they are around £3 each now plus post and vat on top, it is pricing us out of the market so please give a thought to the people who have to mend rugs for a living.
The parts you can buy to mend your own all come from abroad and are alot cheaper than UK made fittings etc.

 

[zaminda]

I found a guy who will repair them unwashed, he gets a lot of business! I wash most of mine myself, bought a larger machine, and can fit all my rugs in it! Paid for itself in no time!

 

[nirikina]

My local place charges £12 for wash/reproof of a standard turnout, and £17 for wash/reproof for combo turnouts. Repairs are just a couple of £ each.

Muddy rugs I will hose off or dunk in a bucket. But after a couple of months of wear they get a bit greasy inside so really do need a proper wash.

 

[moana]

still rather expensive, but not overly OTT for all that was done. We have a local person who will repair dirty rugs as long as they are dry. She is very popular.